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Chantarelles have been cropping up at the local markets lately. Last night, I sautéed them in EVOO with some chopped red onions. Once both the onions and the mushrooms took on brownish edges, I added some smoked paprika, some garlic and some pepper. I had some BBQ short ribs from yesterday, which were minced and added to the mixture. Then I splashed in some white wine (a Rousanne/Marsanne/Grenache blanc, I had lying around) and then added some half and half. It accompanied a simple risotto in white wine. It was glorious, I tell you. The wine that matched perfectly was a 2008 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, an estate wine from Toulouse Vineyards.

I don't like to muck around with scrambled eggs (preferring the pure egg taste) but for a composite dish like quiche I agree that chanterelles are glorious. I also love them on pizza, risotto as mentioned by Mark, or as an adornment for fish.

But I pretty much just love them and have been enjoying some great examples down here over the past few months, unfortunately drying up recently with our lack of rain.

1 - don't over cook them - they don't want crisp edges, they just want to sauté to take up some flavor

2 - the best accompaniment for the delicate chanterelles is shallot, not onion

3 - I've already gone through 5 lbs. so far......

We'll be having omelets for a few weeks with them - if you freeze them individually on a cookie sheet and then bag them they last well and thaw reasonably well, though they won't be quite as good as fresh. For spicing, thyme works, a dusting of nutmeg works well, I'd be very careful with things like hot or smoked paprika as the delicate earthy apricotty aromas can be easily killed by going overboard.

Best recipe of all - throw a pound, chopped, into a couple of cups of whipping cream, and simmer until it starts to thicken and turns golden. Thyme and a dash of sherry to finish off and you have ambrosia that cam be served in patty shells with white wine or light reds - Burgs work well against the richness with their normally good acidity.

Sauteed in a little butter until juices rendered and evaporate, flame with a bit of brandy, cooled down with a bit of cream, add salt and pepper to taste and served on toast points for breakfast.

"...To undersalt deliberately in the name of dietary chic is to omit from the music of cookery the indispensable bass line over which all tastes and smells form their harmonies." -- Robert Farrar Capon

Jo Ann Henderson wrote:Sauteed in a little butter until juices rendered and evaporate, flame with a bit of brandy, cooled down with a bit of cream, add salt and pepper to taste and served on toast points for breakfast.

I'll be right over.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

The first chanterelle I ever had was in Switzerland, of all places. Bob and I were on our honeymoon which was combined with a business trip to Zurich, and the vendor he and his colleagues were there to finalize a multi-million dollar order with somehow discovered that the top dog's brand new wife (me) was having a birthday while there, so to hedge their bets they threw a small dinner party for 10 in which a private chef was hired to cook for us in the round windowless turret of an ancient castle high above a bend in a river that rushed water over high boulders on a warm August night. The entire experience was the most dazzling dinner of my life up to that moment, and the chanterelles were the one part of the meal that was almost as amazing as the setting. I mean everything was good, but the location was just so over the top! The chantarelles are the only course I remember: they were sautéed and served in a lightly curried cream sauce, each serving in a small individual copper pan. No chanterelle has impressed as much since (what could?)--but oh, I keep trying.

A favorite creation of my own for chanterelles substitutes chanterelles for shitakes in oyster sauce, and finished them with a dusting of crushed macadamia nuts. Great when served Chinese style with a number of vegetable stir fries and fried rice.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

Jenise wrote:The first chanterelle I ever had was in Switzerland, of all places. Bob and I were on our honeymoon which was combined with a business trip to Zurich, and the vendor who he and his colleagues were there to finalize a multi-million dollar order with somehow discovered that the top dog's brand new wife (me) was having a birthday while there, so to hedge their bets they threw a small dinner party for 10 in which a private chef was hired to cook for us in the round windowless turret of an ancient castle high above a bend in a river that rushed water over high boulders on a warm August night. The entire experience was the most dazzling dinner of my life up to that moment, and the chanterelles were the one part of the meal that was almost as amazing as the setting. I mean everything was good, but the location was just so over the top! The chantarelles are the only course I remember: they were sautéed and served in a lightly curried cream sauce, each serving in a small individual copper pan. No chanterelle has impressed as much since (what could?)--but oh, I keep trying.

While I was preparing my meal, our two dogs walked into the kitchen after a rumble in the backyard, with dirt all over them and my teenage kids were having their usual 5 pm argument whileI stood in the kitchen contemplating my life and wondering how the heck everything got here. It was still a nice dinner though

Apropos of nothing, really, we happened to blunder upon Pfifferlinge (chanterelle) season when in S Germany in late July/early August. This culminated when we hit our Gasthaus in Freiburg and found a page of their restaurant's menu devoted to an all-Pfifferlinge multicourse menu.

Did you drink wine from Pfaffenheim with your Pfifferlinge menu? And were they Pfifferlinge Zubereiten made from Pfifferlinge Einfrieren....Gawd! Can you think of any othert language that is as prolix by very nature?

Bill Spohn wrote:Did you drink wine from Pfaffenheim with your Pfifferlinge menu? And were they Pfifferlinge Zubereiten made from Pfifferlinge Einfrieren....Gawd! Can you think of any othert language that is as prolix by very nature?

No, Bill, nor did we have any Pfeffernusse whilst there (though some Pfeffer did adorn our Pfifflinge-laden dishes). And, no, German is renowned for its prolixity, as the nomenclature of organic chemistry attests to every day. BTW, how can you possibly take wine-killing Spargel over wine-friendly Pfifferlinge? Unthinkable!

Actually, a dish of steamed spargel with lemon and butter goes very well with dry sparkling whites - unless you are one of those guys that doesn't go in for Sekts.....oh, sorry that was another thread.

sauteed in butter with minced shallots, then sherry or a good Italian or Spanish brandy to deglaze the pan...ending with some heavy cream, salt and white pepper. Served over toasted cracked wheat bread. It doesn't get any better.

I love the life I live and live the life I love*, and as Mark Twain said, " Always do well it will gratify the few and astonish the rest".

GeoCWeyer wrote:sauteed in butter with minced shallots, then sherry or a good Italian or Spanish brandy to deglaze the pan...ending with some heavy cream, salt and white pepper. Served over toasted cracked wheat bread. It doesn't get any better.

Sounds very good - but to make it even better., what abouit some diced sauteed bacon added.....